Some of my unusual plants….

After 2 weeks of intermittent but welcome rain and a total of approx. 100mm the garden has loved it. The humidity has been high and my tropical plants have thrived, while I have wilted. But today the breeze has turned South/East bringing a cooler, pleasanter temperature and I have been tempted out into the garden with my camera.

Being a Pom, born in Yorkshire, my first love is cottage gardens. The riot of annuals intermingled with roses bringing their unique beauty and perfume. Herbs and perennials scattered through. A glorious pallet of colour. That is the garden I had in New Zealand.

But that selection of plants wilted as fast as I do in the heat and humidity of a Queensland summer. So now I go with the flow and my garden is a tropical paradise. A backdrop of palms and broad-leaved plants of the rain forest. The bright, vibrant splash of colour as the various tropical plants flaunt their beauty among the many shades of green.

I will show you some of the more unusual plants and the more common ones that are flowering now.

These Birds of Paradise (Strelitzia) seem to be having a conversation

While this Heliconia is home for ants.

One of my favourites is the Croton. The flowers are quite insignificant, but the leaves are so varied.

This croton is called “African Bells”, if you look carefully you will see the small extra leaf formed on the end of the main leaf. I was given this shrub 12 years ago by the garden club as a thank you for opening my garden for the club to visit.

There are many different shades of croton and they are a favourite as they always give a splash of colour.

This Bauhinia is a visitor from next doors garden. I trim it back after flowering but it always comes back.

These variegated rhoeos, also known as Moses in the basket, make a neat and tidy edging and ground cover.

The blue ginger is just starting to flower.

The Banksia has long since finished flowering, but look at the interesting seed pod it leaves behind.

Succulents are always easy care and love this climate.

The next two unusual plants live on insects, flies and mosquitoes are tempted inside them.

Finally I will leave you with a gallery of a few other plants in the garden.

Desert Rose

Spanish Moss

Ixoria

Brazilian Red Cloak

Maiden hair fern

Bromeliad

Now the weather is cooling down slightly the next major job is pruning back the jungle growth.

I noticed my comment didn’t go through last time…so having another go…..your post brought back many memories of my mother’s garden in Port Macquarie, and trips we have done to Queensland. The plants are so lush and vibrant, and all seem to grow without fuss…however, I do know what you mean about the humidity and heat…very energy draining! I loved the blue ginger, and my mum had lots of the ”Moses in a basket” (she would have loved the name.)…brought back lots of memories.

I love how you said you now go with the flow! And Pomme, your hand palms really do great with those green palms! Lol
The one taut ears misquotes is pretty handy and colorful – and let’s see – out of all of them I like the just flowering blue one because the bud to the lower right has a bit of a mood! 🌾🌾🌾

Beautiful! Interestingly, we had insect-eating pitcher plants (looking quite similar to yours) and sundews growing on a peat island in a lake in Vermont when I was growing up. It gets very cold and snowy there in the winter. Amazing that the plants can thrive in such different extreme conditions.

Visiting your garden is like walking in paradise. Love the rhoeos, the blue ginger, the pitcher plants, the ixoria, the desert rose. You have cultivated a wonderful tropical haven. I wonder what I can offer you in return?

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60 something female, ( now 70 I have been doing this blog 3 years) fit and active, loves travel, reading, walking. Born in Yorkshire, UK. Moved to New Zealand, love the country. Became a "Kiwi" lived there 37 years, son and daughter still live there. Moved to Australia because I now live with and love an Australian that I met in NZ and am now an Aussie citizen.